Laminated elastic fabric panel and method of manufacturing same



Aug. 13, 1940. P. l.. MAHoNl-:Y 2,211,143 LAMINATED ELASTIC FABRIC PANEL AND MTHOD OF MANUFACTURING SAME Filed Deo'. l, 1957 l2 Sheets-Sheet 14 llTcl.

lyf/z 1 ifN Aug. 13, l940 P. L.. MAHONEY 'LAMINATED ELASTC FABRIC PANEL AND METHOD 0F MANUFACTURING SAME Filed Dec. 1, 1937 2 .Sheets-Sheet 2 Z y, U

' New?,

- I `ATTORNEYSl Patented Aug. 13, 1940 LAMINATED ELAs'rIc FABRIC PANEL AND PATENT ori-ICE METHOD 0F MANUFACTURING SAME y Paul L. Mahoney, Jackson Heights, N. Y., assignor, by mesne assignments, to United States Rubber Company, New York, N. Y., a corpora tion of New Jersey Application December 1, 1937, Serial No. 177,442

12 claims,

This invention relates to improved laminated elastic fabric panels and to the method of manufacturing same to provide them with different elastic characteristics and/or surface appearances in different bands extending in a direction transverse to the length of the panel.

Such panels are particularly useful in the manufacture of circumferential body confining garments such as elastic girdles and surgical bandages, or the like which areprovided with circumferential bands having different sizes and/or elastic characteristics so that the garment will conform to the shape of the body and support it properly. Heretofore such garments have been made of special knitted constructions containing rubber thread. The bands in such garments have been either knitted on special knitting machines and subsequently united together, or have been knitted on a single machine of costly construction. If done on a single machine special and complicated mechanisms were required to change the stitch to provide the different elastic characteristics and/or variations of size in the bands. The costof manufacture o f garments by suchprior methodsl is relatively high.

In accordance with the present invention standard thread fabrics of either knitted or woven constructions may be used in the manufacture of the panels, provided such fabrics are capable of being super-relaxed in at least one direction. The use of such standard fabrics reduce the cost and simplify the manufacture of `the panels. Such manufacture is further simpliled as the use of the rubber thread is not required.

The fabric `panels embodying this invention comprise bands which are adaptedv to extend in the widthwise or girthwise dimension of the garment and transversely to the length of the panel. The bands are composedof one or more laminae of thread fabric elastically bonded to a lamina of rubber, which normally retains the laminae of thread fabric in a morel transversely extended state in some of the bands than in others.

The fabric panels are given different elastic properties and surface appearances in the respective bands by either super-relaxing the ythread fabric in certain of said bands in the be made by super-relaxing the thread fabric inl alternate transversely extending bands` in a transverse direction and to a greater extent than the thread fabric in the adjacent or intermediate bands are super-relaxed in such direction. In the bands where the transverse expansion of the thread fabric occurs and in the bands adjacent to those in which the transverse superrelaxing occurs the thread fabric is retained by the lamina of rubber in a greater transversely extended condition than in other bands and provides the panels with the desired shape Without cutting the fabric along the lengthwise edges of the panel.

In both procedures for shaping and imparting different elastic properties and surface appearances to the different bands of the panels, a web of thread fabric in either a relaxed 'or stretched condition in reference to the length of the panels in which it is to be incorporated as the lamina of thread fabric, is secured to an elastic superrelaxing sheet having some of its transversely extending bands stretched more than other adjacent bands in a given direction, so that alternating relatively short and long bands in re` I spect to the direction extending transversely to the distance between the bands are produced in the super-relaxing sheet. Upon the release of the tension on the super-relaxing sheet, the thread fabric is super-relaxed in some of the transversely extending bands more than it is in other bands, which imparts the desired shape to the panel and different surface effects and amounts of extensibility to the thread fabric in adjacent bands. While the threadfabric is in such state it is elastically bonded to the lamina of elastic rubber, which in combination with the thread fabric produces different elastic properties in adjacent bands of the panels.

A coating of rubber adhesive may be applied between the web of thread fabric and the surface of the super-relaxing sheet for securing the fabric thereto and for producing the elastic bond and rubber lamina, or the web of thread fabric may be mechanically secured to the super-relaxing sheet by closely spaced pins extending from the surface of the sheet as described in Teague and Hawley application" Serial No. 177,214, filed November 30, 1937, and the coating of rubber adhesive may be applied to the outer surface of the web of thread fabric, either before, or after the 'tension of the super-relaxing sheet has been released, for producing the elastic bond and rubber lamina. In any such event the thread fabric with the adhesive adhering thereto may be removed from the surface of the super-relaxing sheet after the adhesive has been treated to give it the necessary strength to retain the thread fabric in its super-relaxed, original or stretched conditions at the time of removal and also to give it the strength to resist permanent deformation while being removed. Such treatment may consist in drying and/or standing or vulcanizing after drying. After being removed the adhesive retains the thread fabric in its condition at the time of removal and constitutes the rubber lamina of the fabric panel. The adhesive may then be vulcanized to further increase its strength if the vulcanization has not been previously completed.

Where the rubber adhesive is inserted between the thread fabric web and the surface of the super-relaxing sheet, it may be vulcanized to the web and to the surface of the sheet and thereby incorporate the sheet as a part of the laminated fabric panel. In such event, the sheet and adhesive will constitute the rubber lamina.

It is intended that wherever the term thread fabric is used herein, it shall mean a textile fabric having a knitted or loosely woven construction or combination of such constructions, which before being laminated, is capable of being super-relaxed in at least one direction, and the term super-relaxed as applied thereto refers to the contracted condition in any given direction of the lamina of thread fabric in the relaxed laminated elastic bands as compared to the condition of the web of thread fabric in such bands at the time that it was initially secured t0 the corresponding stretched elastic bands of the super-relaxing sheet.

The foregoing features and other characteristics of this invention are more fully described in the following description and accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a plan view of a series of connected laminated elastic fabric panels embodying this invention; l

Fig. 2 is a cross-section of Fig. 1 taken on line 2-2;

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the portion of a laminated elastic fabric panel similar to Fig. 2 but showing a panel having two laminae of thread fabric bonded to a lamina of rubber.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of a series of connected panels in their relaxed condition illustrating the relationship between the panels and the superrelaxing sheet, after the thread fabric in one of the transverse bands of the panels has been super-relaxed in the lengthwise direction of the panels, which is the direction of the distance between the bands;

Fig.'5 is a cross-section view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a plan view of a web of thread fabric, secured to the super-relaxing sheet while stretched in the direction of the distance between the bands;

Fig. '1 is a plan view of a relaxed series of fabric panels associated with a relaxed super-relaxing sheet and illustrating the method of manufacturing such panels by stretching-alternate transversely extending bands thereof in the direction extending transversely to the distance between'the bands;

Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view on lines 8--8 of Fig. '1;

Fig. 9 is aplan view of a'transversely stretched super-relaxing sheet and showing the web of thread fabric secured thereto, and

Fig. 10 is a front or back view of a girdle made from the fabric panels illustrated in Figs. 1 and 7.

Referring to Figs. 1-6, the method of manufacturing the fabric panels is illustrated in which the panels are shaped by super-relaxing the textile fabric in one of the bands of each panel in the direction of the distances between the bands and simultaneously expanding the band in the transverse direction. As shown in Fig. l, the panels i8 are separated from one another by cutting the fabric transversely throughthe bands I9 along the dot and dash lines 20. 'Ihe distances between the lines 20 constitute the length of the panels, while the transverse direction constitutes the widthwise or girthwise dimension of the panels. The panels so formed are provided. with relatively short end bands 2| extending in the widthwise direction of the panels and relatively long bands 22 extending in the same direction. The panels I8 comprise a lamina of thread fabric 23 and a lamina of rubber 24, as shown in Fig. 2, or they may comprise two or more laminae of thread fabric 25 and a lamina of rubber 26, as shown in Fig. 3. 'I'he relatively long bands 22 are super-relaxed in the lengthwise direction of the panels and expanded or extended in the transverse direction while being super-relaxed. 'I'he portions of the thread fabric lamina 23 in the bands 2| are either not super-relaxed or are super-relaxed `to a lesser degree in the lengthwise direction than the thread fabric in the bands 22.

The darts 21 represent closely spaced points on the surface of the thread fabric, for example, the loops in the knit fabric or the cross-over points of the threads in a woven fabric. Preferably a knit fabric is employed having wales 21', represented by the rows of darts 21 extending in the lengthwise direction of the panel, so that the thread fabrics will be provided with a large amount of extensibility in the widthwise direction of the panel. However, any thread-fabric having a large amount of transverse extensibility may be used, for example, a woven fabric having its bias direction extending in the lengthwise direction of the panel. In Fig. 1, the spacing between the darts in a lengthwise direction is closer in the band 22 than the spacing ofthe darts in the bands 2| in such direction, which indicates that the thread fabric has been super-relaxed in the lengthwise direction of the panel more than it has been in the end bands 2|. Since the fabric has been expanded in the widthwise direction. the rows of darts are spaced further apart at the middle point of the band 22 than in the bands 2|, which indicates that the thread fabric while being super-relaxed has been expanded in the widthwise direction in the band 22 more than it has been in the bands 2|.

A circumferential body confining garment such as a girdle 28 illustrated in Fig. 10 may be m'ade by superimposing .one of the panels I8 upon another so that the end bands 2| and intermediate bands 22 match respectively -With one another. The lengthwise edges 29 are then sewed together to produce the garment 28 having side seams 3U. The garment may, however, be made from a single panel by cutting the panel I8 along the dot- 4ted line 3| so that the line parallels the curve of the opposite edge 29 of the panel, and then folding the panel about its lengthwise axis so that the edge 29 matches with -the cut line 3|. The garment mayA then be sewn together by sewing together the meeting edges 29 and 3| to produce a garment with a single seam. It will thus be noticed that a garment may be made of one or B and expanded in the transverse direction more more' panels. y

Panels may also be made by cutting the bands 22 along the dot and dash lines 32 and thereby producingytwo panels 33-and 34 out of a single panel I8 in which each of the panels are provided with two bands one having a relatively short dimension in the widthwise direction of the panel and the other tapering from such dimension at its adjacent edge to a relatively long dimension.

When such panels are matched and sewed to-I lengthwise direction of the panels and is indicated' by the arrow B in Figs. 4 and 6. 'I'he bands 36 yare made of elastic material such as rubber which contracts in the direction transverse to the arrow B when it is stretched in the direction of the arrow B. The bands 31 are made of material which is less elastically extensible-in the direction of the arrow B than the material contained in the bands 36. Consequently the bands 31 of the' sheet 35 stretch less and contract lessin the direction transverse to the direction of stretch than the bands 36 when the sheet 35 is stretched in the direction of the arrow B as shownin Fig. 6. The bands 31 are rendered less elastically extensible by incorporating in the super-relaxing sheet 35 material which is less elastic than theI material in the 'bands 36. The incorporated material may be in the form of an insert 38 made of rubber having a different elastic characteristic than the rubber in the remaining portion of the super-relaxing sheet 35, or the insert may be made of wood, thin metal, -iiexible hard rubber or non-extensible fabric having little or no elon' gation. l'I'he bands 31 of the super-relaxing -sheet 35 constructed in this manner may have an elastic extensibility varying from substantially zero to as muchas may be desired. The elastic extensibility in the bands 31 is always considerably less than such extensibility in the bands 36 when the sheet 35 is under tension in the. lengthwise direction.

Referring toAFig. 6, in carrying out the process of manufacturing the laminated fabric panel I8, the super-relaxing sheet 35 is stretched under tension inthe direction of the arrow B and thev more extensible bands 36 are stretched in the direct-ion ofthe arrow B and contracted in the transverse direction to a greater extent than the bands 31. A web of thread fabric, to be incorporated as the lamina 23 (Fig. 2) is secured-t0 the stretched super-relaxing sheet 35 by an adhesive coating 39 applied to either the web of thread fabric or the surface of the super-relaxing sheet 35, or to both. Before applying the web of thread fabric to the super-relaxing sheet the rubber adhesive is dried to such anextent that it will not penetrate the thread fabric to its outer surface, and not such an extent that it will-materially resist the contraction of theisuperrelaxing sheet 35 in the direction oppositeto 'thearrowB when the tension on the sheet is removed. When the tension is removed the portions of the thread fabric which are adhered to the bands 36 are super-relaxed'in the direction opposite to the arrow than the portions of thread fabric which are secured to the lbands 31. 'I'he condition of the super-relaxing sheet 35 and the thread fabric 23 after the tension has been released is illustrated in Fig. 4. The condition of the thread fabric is the same as explained in the reference to Fig. 1. The super-relaxing sheet 35 may be permae nently combined with the thread fabric lamina 23 by vulcanizing the adhesive 39 to the surface of the sheet and to the la-mina of thread fabric 23 to lproduce laminated fabric panels III) having a cross section as indicated in Fig. 5. In such event the bands 31 are cut along the dot and dash lines 4I and the super-relaxing sheet is trimmed along the lengthwise edges 29 of the thread fabric 23 to produce the panels 40. In the event the fabric 23 with the adhesive 39 adhered thereto is to .fbe removed from the superrelaxing sheet 35 to form the panel I8 such as shown in Figs. l and 2, the adhesive 39 is treated aspreviously described to give it the necessary strength to hold the thread fabric 23 in the condition shown in Fig. 4 without the aid of the super-relaxing sheet 35. After the thread fabric 23 is removed from the super-relaxing sheet the adhesive coating 39 forms the lamina 23 (Fig. 2). If the Vulcanization of the adhesive has not been completed -it may now be vulcanized to increase its strength, and the series of panels I8 may be separated by cutting alongs the lines 20 and the different types of panels 33 and 34 may be produced by further cutting the panels I8 along the dot and dash lines 32.

Fabric panels of the typ'e s hown in Fig. 1, but having two outside laminae 25 of thread fabric bonded to an intermediate lamina of rubber 26 as shown in Fig. 3, maybe made'by stretching the series of panels I8 in Fig. 1in the direction of the arrow A to the condition of the fabric at the time of being secured to the super-relaxing sheet, and then securing with a rubber adhesive a second web of thread fabric to the rubber lamina side of stretched panels, to produce the second lamina 25. The tension on the stretched panels is then released which causes the second lamina to assume the condition of the first. After the adhesive has been vulcanized, the panels may be separated by cutting along the dot and. dash line 20'.

The extensibility of the bands 2lv of the panels I8 in the lengthwise direction of the panels may be varied in proportion to the extensibility of the cured to the super-relaxing sheet 35, and in pro-v portion to the amount the bands 31 of the sheet 35 are stretched, i. e., elastically extended, at the time the thread fabric 23 is secured thereto. For example if the bands 31 are non-extensible and not stretched in the direction of the distance lbetween the bands and the thread fabric is non-extensible in such direction at the time it is secured to the super-relaxing sheet, then the bands 2I of the panels will be substantially non-extensiblein the lengthwise direction of the panels. If the bands 31 are stretched and/or the thread fabric is extensible in the direction of the distance between the bands at the time it is secured thereto, then the bands 2I of the panels I8 will be extensible in such direction.

I Itis desirable that the thread fabric 23 in the bands 22 be capable of being further extended transversely after it has been laminated and expanded in such direction. Where the thread fabric is transversely extensible in the bands 22 and 2| and non-extensible in the bands 2| in the lengthwise direction of the panels I8, the bands 2| of the panels will be provided with one-way stretch extending transversely, and the bands 22 will be provided with two-way stretch. Where the thread fabric in the bands .2| is longitudinally extensible, the bands 2| of the panels will also have two-Way stretch but will have less stretch than the band 22 of the panels I8 in the length- Wise direction of the panels,

The threads in the fabric 23 are crowded closer together when it is super-relaxed. Consequently the fabric is thicker in the bands 22, where the thread fabric is super-relaxed to a greater degree, than in the bands 2|, where the thread fabric is super-relaxed to a lesser degree. The increased thickness of the thread fabric lamina resulting from being super-relaxed is in direct proportion to the amount the thread fabric is super-relaxed andthe openness of the threadv fabric construction at the time it was adhered to the super-relaxing sheet. In the event the thread fabric is removed from the super-relaxing sheet and the` rubber adhesive constitutes the rubber lamina, the rubber lamina can be made of uniform thickness by applying a coating of rubber adhesive of uniform thickness to the thread fabric after it has been super-relaxed. The coating may be applied thicker in the bands where the thread. fabric is super-relaxed to the lesser degree to compensate for the lesser thickness of the thread fabric in such bands and thereby produce a laminated fabric of uniform thickness having some bands of rubber thicker than others. When the adhesive coating is uniformly applied before the thread fabric is super-relaxed it is caused to pile up where the thread fabric is super-relaxed and a thicker rubber lamina is produced in the bands super-relaxed to the greater extent. The bands provided with the greater thickness of rubber offer a greater resistance to stretch. In this manner the body confining bands 22 of the panels I8 in Figs. 1 and 2 are provided with a greater resistance to stretch in the widthwise direction of the panel than the bands 2|. In some garments, such as womens girdles, the greater resistance to stretch in the bands 22 is desirable.

When it is desired to make the longitudinal edges 29 straight after being formed on the superrelaxing sheet, the edges of the thread fabric are cut to conform to the shape of the edges of the super-relaxing sheet when stretched, andthe thread fabric is secured to the sheet so that edges of the thread fabric and the sheet match with each other or parallel one another.

Figs. '7, 8 and 9 illustrate themethod of making panels 42 by super-relaxing the thread fabric 43 in the alternate bands 44 in the direction extending transversely to the lengthwise direction of the panels, indicated by the arrow C, and retaining the thread fabric 43 in the bands 45 in a more transversely extended condition than in the bands 44. In Fig 7 the panels 42 are shown in their relaxed condition while adhered by an adhesive rubber lamina 46 to the super-relaxing sheet 41 and connected end to end. The thread fabric'43 with the rubber adhesive 46 secured thereto may be removed from the super-relaxing sheet 41 to produce panels having a thread fabric lamina 43 and a rubber lamina 46, or the adhesive may be vulcanized to the surface of the superrelaxing sheet `41 and the thread fabric 43 to produce panels having a. cross section as shown in Fig. 8, comprising a lamina of thread fabric 43 and a rubber lamina composed of the super-relaxing sheet 41 and the adhesive 46. In either case the panels 42 so formed may be separated by cutting through the bands 44 along the dot and dash lines 48 to provide each of the panels 42 with super-relaxed end bands 49. Where the thread fabric is combined with the super-relaxing sheet 41 the latter is trimmed along the lengthwise -edges of the fabric 43.

'I'he numerals 44 and 45 indicate bands in the laminated fabric and also corresponding bands in the super-relaxing sheet. The super-relaxing sheet 41 comprises an elastic sheetl 5l] of rubber or like elastic material, which is preferably elastic in two directions and constitute the bands 45 in. the sheet. The sheet is provided with transversely extending inserts 5| which are incorporated in the bands 44 of the sheet 41. The inserts 5| are elastically extensible in the transverse direction of the sheet 41 and preferably less elastically extensible than the material in the elastic rubber sheet 50 when the sheet is subjected to tension in the direction of the distance between the bands 44, indicated by the arrow C. The inserts 5| may be made of a woven elastic fabric band having rubber threads extending in the direction transverse to the arrow C. Such an elastic band incorporated as the insert 5| (Fig. 8), will produce elastic extensibility in the direction transverse to the arrow C in the bands 44 of the super-relaxing sheet and substantially no extensibility in the direction of the arrow C.

In the manufacture of the panels 42 the inserts 5| are stretched in the direction of the arrows D as shown in Fig. 9. The bands 44 of the sheet 41 are thereby stretched in such direction while the bands 45 are retained in a more contracted or less stretched condition in such direction. Such action causes the lengthwise edges of the bands 45 to be inwardly curved as shown in Fig. 9. If it is desired to impart greater elastic extensibility to the thread fabric 43 in the bands 45, such bands in super-relaxing sheet 41 may also be stretched in the direction of the arrow F. Under the latter condition the bands 45 are caused to contract still further in the transver'se direction. The thread fabric 43 is then adhered to the stretched sheet 41 with therubber adhesive 46. The tension on the super-relaxing sheet 41 is released and the thread fabric 43 is super-relaxed in'the bands 44 in the direction opposite to the arrows D to a greater extent than it is super-relaxed in such direction in the bands 45 as indicated by the relaxed condition of the thread fabric shown in Fig. 1. If the super-relaxing sheet .has also been stretched in the direction of the arrow F, the thread fabric 43 will also be super-relaxed in the opposite direction when the tension in the super-relaxngsheet is released. After treating, as hereinbefore described, the rubber adhesive 46 may be removed with the fabric fromthe super-relaxing sheet 41 and then vulcanized to produce panels having a lamina of thread fabric 43.and a lamina of rubber 46, or the adhesive may be vulcanized to the fabric 43 and the super-relaxing sheet 41 to produce panels having a cross section as shown in Fig. 8, consisting of a lamina of thread fabric 43 and a rubber lamina, the latter being composed of the adhesive 48 and the super-relaxing sheet 41.

Assuming that the fabric 43 in Figs. '1, 8 and 9 is knitted and the wales extend lengthwise of the panels, then the darts 21 indicate the loops and the rows of darts 21' indicate the wales. As shown in Fig. 9, the darts 21 are evenly spaced in the rows or wales 21 and the rows or wales 21' are also evenly spaced at the ltime the thread fabric is secured to the super-relaxing sheet 41. After the tension on the sheet 41 has been released as shown in Fig. 7, the wales 21 are brought closer together in the bands 44 than in the bands 45. This indicates that the thread fabric in the bands 44 has been super-relaxed to a greater degree in the widthwise direction of the panel than the thread fabric in the bands 45 has been so super-relaxed. The original spacing of the loops in the wales is maintained in Fig. 7 which indicates that no super-relaxing has occurred in the lengthwise direction of the panels 42. However, if the super-relaxing sheet 41 was also stretched in the direction of the arrow.

,essary that the thread fabric be provided with i extensible properties in the lengthwise direction of the panelat the time of being secured to the super-relaxing sheet. extensibilityl in the bands 49 and 45 of the panels 42 would be the same. However the elastic, extensibility of the bands `159 inthe widthwise direction of the girdle would be greater than such extensibility in the bands 45, vand if the rubber lamina is thicker in the bands 49 than in the bands 45, the bands 49 will have a correspondingly greater `resistance to stretch.

If it is desired to produce panels having one of their end bands 49 longer than the other in the widthwise A'direction of the panels, the alternate bands 44 of the super-relaxing sheet 41 are stretched to a greater extent than the other bands 44 in the direction of the arrows D at the time the thread fabric is secured to the superrelaxing sheet. Upon the release of the tension in the bands 44, those stretched to the greater extent will contract the thread fabric the more in the transverse direction. Consequently when the panels thus formed are separated by cutting the bands 44 along the dot and dash lines 48 (Fig. '7), in order from one direction, the cuts will alternately pass through relatively long'a'nd short bands 44y and each panel will be provided with a relatively long and short ehd band 49, extending in the widthwise direction of the panel. Such panels may be united to make garments having one end larger than the other by matchfA ing the panels and sewing them together as described in reference to Fig. 10.

The permanent rubber adhesive which enters into the rubber lamina of the laminated fabric preferably possesses the property of not softening at the vulcanizing vtemperatures used. An example of such anadhesive is given in the'formula below.

Total '58.8% conc. Viscosity 43.5 centipoises.

In such case the elastic While several forms of the invention have been described in detail herein it will be understood that the dimensions of the transverse bands in the lengthwise direction of the panels may be changed as desired and thatother changes in such details may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention and the scope .of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desireto protect by Letters Patent 1s: 1. An elastic body garment comprising at least one laminated elastic fabric panely having bands providedv with different elastic characteristics extending transversely to the length of said panel and adapted to extend circumferentially of the body, the ends of the bands having like characteristics being united to form a tube; said bands comprising at least one lamina of transversely extensible thread fabric elastically bonded to a lamina of elastic rubber; and the portions of said lamina of thread fabric in one of said bands being retained in a more transversely extended condition by said rubber lami'na, when relaxed, than the portions of said lamina ofthread fabric in the adjacent band are so retained thereby providing said bands with different elastic characteristics.

2. An elastic body garment comprising at least one laminated elastic fabric panel having bands provided with different elastic characteristics extending transversely to the length of said panel and adapted to extend circumferentially of the body, the ends of the bandshaving like characteristics being united to form a tube;

said bands comprising at least one lamina of transversely extensible thread fabric elastically bonded to a lamina of elastic. rubber; and the portions of said laminaof thread fabric in one of said bands being retained in a greater superrelaxed condition in the. direction of the lengthwise dimension of said panel and in a -more transversely extended condition by said rubber lamina, when relaxed, than the portions of said lamina of thread fabric in the adjacent band are so retained thereby providing said bands with different elastic characteristics.

3. An elastic body garment comprising at least one laminated elastic fabric panel having bands provided with different elastic characteristics extending transversely to the length of f said panel and adapted to extend circumferentially of the body, the ends of the bands having like characteristics being. united to form a tube; said bands comprising at least one lamina of transversely extensible thread fabric elastically bonded to a lamina of elastic rubber; the portions of 'said lamina of thread fabric in one of said bands being retained in a more transversely extended condition by 'said rubber lamina, when relaxed, than the portions of said lamina of thread fabric in the adjacent band are so retained; and the .portions of said lamina o1' thread fabric in said latter adjacent band being retained in a greater super-relaxed condition 1n the direction transverse to the lengthwise dimension of said panel by said rubber lamina, when relaxed, than the portions .of the lamina of thread fabric in said rst band are so retained thereby providing said bands with different elastic characteristics.

4. An elastic body garment comprising at least one laminated elastic fabric panel having bands provided with diierent elastic characteristics extending transversely to the length of said panel and adapted to extend circumferentially of the body, the ends of the bands having like characteristics being united to form a tube; said bands comprising at least one lamina-of transversely extensible thread fabric elastically bonded to a lamina of elastic rubber; the portions of said lamina of thread fabric in lone of said bands' being super-relaxed in the lengthwise direction of said panel and retained in a more transversely extended condition by said rubber lamina, when relaxed, than the portions of said lamina of thread fabric in the adjacent band are so retained; and the portions of said lamina of thread fabric in said latter adjacent band being retained in a greater super-relaxed condition in the direction transverse to the lengthwise dimension of said panel by said rubber lamina, when relaxed. than the portions of the lamina of thread fabric in said first band are so retained thereby providing said bands with different elastic characteristics.

5. An elastic body garment comprising at least one laminated elastic fabric panel having end bands and an intermediate band provided with a different elastic characteristic; said bands extending transversely to the length of the panel and adapted to extend circumferentially around the body, the ends of the end bands being joined and the ends of the intermediate band being joined to form a tube, said bands comprising at least one lamina of transversely extensible thread fabric elastically bonded to a lamina of elastic rubber; and the portions of saidlamina of thread fabric in -said intermediate band being retained in a more transversely extended condition by said rubber lamina, when relaxed, than the portions of said lamina of thread fabric in at least one of said end bands are so retained thereby providing said bands with different elastic characteristics.

6. An elastic body garment comprising at least one laminated elastic fabric panel having end bands and an intermediate band provided with a different elastic characteristic; said bands extending transversely to the length of the panel a'nd adapted to extend circumferentially around the body, the ends of the end bands being joined and the ends of the intermediate band being joined to form a tube, said bands comprising at least one lamina of transversely extensible thread Afabric elastically bonded to a lamina of elastic rubber; the portions of said lamina of thread fabric in said intermediate band being retained in a greater super-relaxed condition in the direction of the lengthwise d1- mension of said panel and in a more transversely extended condition by said rubber lamina, when relaxed, than the portions of said lamina of thread fabric in at least one of said end bands are so retained thereby providing said bands with different elastic characteristics.

7. A laminated elastic fabric panel having end bands and an intermediate band extending transversely to the length of said panel; said bands comprising at leastone lamina of transversely extensible thread fabric elastically bonded to a lamina of elastic rubber; the portions of said lamina of thread fabric in said intermediate band being retained in a more transversely extended condition by said rubber 1amina, when relaxed, than the portions of said lamina of thread fabric in at least one of said end bands are so retained; and the portions of said lamina of thread fabric in said end bands being retained in a greater super-relaxed contensible in the direction of the lengthwise dimension of said panel and the adjacent band being elastically extensible in such dimension; said bands comprising at least one lamina of transversely extensible thread fabric elastically bonded to a lamina of elastic rubber; and the portions of said lamina of thread fabric in said substantially non-extensible band being retained in a less transversely extended condition by said rubber lamina, when relaxed, than the portions of said lamina of thread fabric in said extensible band are so retained thereby providing said bands with different elastic charactere lstics.

9. An elastic girdle comprosing at least one laminated elastic fabric panel having end bands adapted to extend in the girthwise direction of said girdle and having elastic extensibility in such direction; an intermediate two-way elastically extensible body confining portion extending between said bands; said bands and body confining portion comprising at least one unitary lamina of thread fabric elastically bonded to a lamina of elastic rubber; the portions of said confining portion being super-relaxed in the lengthwise direction of said panel and expanded in the girthwise direction by the rubber lamina, when relaxed, more than the portions of said thread fabric in said end bands are so super-relaxed; the ends of said end bands being joined and the edges of said body confining portion being joined to forni a tube.

10. An elastic girdle comprising at least one laminated elastic fabric panel having end bands adapted to extend in the girthwlse direction of the girdle and which are elastic in such direction and substantially non-elastic in the dlrection of the distance between the bands, a two-way elastic body confining portion extending between said bands and having a greater girthwi'se resistance to stretch than said end 'Y bands, a unitary lamina of thread fabric forming a part of each of said bands and of said body confiningY portion, a lamina of rubber bonded to said lamina of thread fabric and normally retaining said. lamina of thread fabric in a super-relaxed condition in said body confining portion, and said lamina of thread fabric in said end bands being substantially non-extensible in the direction of the distance between said bands and retaining said rubber lamina in a non-extensible'condition in such direction; and the ends of said end bands being joined and the edges of said body conningportion being joined to form a tube.

11. The method of making laminated elastic fabric panels comprising the steps of stretching alternate transversely extending bands of a super-relaxing sheet inthe direction transverse to the direction of the distance between the bands more than the adjacent bands are so super-relaxing sheet while so stretched, releasing the tension on said bands and thereby superrelax the portions of the thread fabric which were secured to the stretched bands' of the super-relaxing sheet more than the portions of the thread fabric which were secured to the adjacent bands, bonding an elastic l-amina of rubber to the thread fabric to elastically retain the bands of thread fabric in such condition when the rubber is in its normal relaxed condition, and cutting said transversely super-relaxed bands in the laminated fabric so made, along lines transverse to the direction of the distance between the bands.

12. The method of making laminated elastic fabric panels comprising the steps of stretching alternate transversely extending bands of a super-relaxing sheet in the direction transverse to the direction of the distance between the bands more than the adjacent bands are so stretched, stretching the latter bands in the direction of the distance between the bands, se-

curing a web of thread fabric to the super-relaxing sheet while so stretched, releasing the tension on said bands and thereby super-relax in the transverse direction the portions of the vthread fabric which were secured to the transversely stretched bands of the super-relaxing sheet more than the portions of the thread fabric which were secured to the adjacent bands, and thereby super-relax in the longitudinal direction the portions of the thread fabric secured to the longitudinally stretched bands more than the thread fabric secured to the transversely stretched bands, bonding an elastic lamina of rubber to the thread fabric to elastically retain the bands of thread fabric in such condition when the rubber is in its normal relaxed condition, and cutting said transversely super-relaxed .'bands in the laminated fabric so made, along lines transverse to the direction of the distances between the bands.

PAUL L. MAHONEY. 

